[nfbwatlk] black bears and blindness skills

[Carl Jarvis]

Good thought Noel.  But if you get close enough to really smell the bear, 
you'd better hope it's a friendly fellow.
Carl

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Noel Nightingale" <nnightingale at earthlink.net>
To: "'NFB of Washington Talk Mailing List'" <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 4:02 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbwatlk] black bears and blindness skills


> Carl:
>
> I have heard that bears are really smelly.  If that is true, that seems
> like it has the potential for the development of an alternative
> technique.
>
> Noel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
> Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 6:02 PM
> To: nfbw
> Subject: [nfbwatlk] black bears and blindness skills
>
>
> Trying to explain anything about blindness to a black bear is just a
> waste of time.  Them bears don't listen. And all these alternative
> skills I learned, don't  help at all when I don't know that it's a black
> bear I'm talking to. Out here on the Great Olympic Peninsula, we had our
> first sub freezing night monday night. Cathy was making going to bed
> noises and I decided to stoke up the fireplace with a couple of slow
> burning logs.  We turn the furnace thermostat to the Frost Bite zone, in
> the belief that we are helping in the fight against Global Warming.  I
> know I'm doing my part when I hop out of bed in the morning and my
> fingers freeze to my belt buckle. Quickly stepping out to the wood pile
> I heard a loud snuffling.  For what ever reason I thought my neighbor's
> dog had come visiting. "Riley, what are you doing over here so late at
> night"? More snuffling, only louder, along with a sort of panting sound.
> "You all right Boy?  Come over here.?  " I began to get an uneasy
> feeling.  Riley is a rather hefty German Shepard who bounds joyfully
> into my midsection any time I pay him the slightest bit of attention.
> This fellow in front of me had begun to back away, while at the same
> time increasing the volume of huffing and snuffing. "Come here, Riley",
> I said in my most firm, commanding voice.  At the same time I began
> sliding sideways toward the door.  Behind me Cathy's calm voice said, "I
> don't think that bear wants to come inside". Later, as we burrowed down
> in a pile of bed clothes, I  mused "There must be some sort of technique
> for a blind person to tell when they're talking to a bear.  some safe
> way". "Why should bears be any different than people?" Cathy asked.
> "I've seen you try to strike up a conversation with lots of folks who
> behaved exactly like that bear did." "I guess you're right", I said as
> she shoved a chunk of ice into my midsection.  "But I never worried that
> any of them might bite me". "And that's a huge mistake on your part,"
> she said as she pushed her other frozen foot next to the first one.
> "There have been times when I'd rather have taken my chances with the
> bear."
>
> Carl Jarvis
>
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